An investigation of the effect of tprs on vocabulary acquisition among third graders

This study aims to investigate the effect of total physical response-storytelling (TPRS) method on vocabulary acquisition among third graders in a foreign language compared to grammar-translation (G-T) method (traditional method) and the views on these methods. In this study in which mixed research method and embedded design are used, the data were collected from 49 third graders in a primary school selected by convenience sampling in Kadınhanı, Konya. The Vocabulary Acquisition Test developed by the researcher as data collection tool is used as pre-test and post-test, and students in the experimental group and control group kept diaries throughout the intervention. The data were analyzed using independent and related samples t tests and descriptive analysis. Research results revealed that the TPRS method is effective for vocabulary acquisition of the students in the experimental group; the G-T method (traditional method) is effective for vocabulary acquisition of the students in the control group; the TPRS method used in the experimental group is not more effective / ineffective method compared to the G-T method (traditional method) used in the control group in terms of vocabulary acquisition. Furthermore, descriptive analysis of the diaries kept by the students in both experimental and control groups throughout the intervention revealed that most of the students give positive opinions on both methods.